Signal system for dumb-waiters and the like



Feb. 27, 1934. P. J. DUGAN SIGNAL SYSTEM FOR DUMB WAITERS AND THE LIKE Filed Oct. 9, 1931 Patented Feb. 27, 1934 UNIT STAT

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SIGNAL SYSTEM FOR DUDE-WAITERS AND THE LIKE Application October 9,

11 Claims.

This invention relates to signal system for dumb-waiters and the like, and more particular ly relates to means operating automatically to signal the arrival of the car at the floor at which the car has stopped.

Heretofore it has been common practice to install signal systems in connection with dumbwaiters which are independent of the dumbwaiter itself and of the mechanism which moves the car. With these signal systems, the sender of the car pushes a button to sound a buzzer or bell at the floor of destination to inform persons on that floor that the arrival or" the car may be expected. Oftentimes the sender fails to push the button or inadvertently push s the button for the wrong floor. Also persons at the door of destination fail to hear the brief signal, or knowing that the car has not yet arrived when the signal is heard postpone going to the shaft and forget to do so.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a signal system for dumb-waiters and the like which does not require the sender to push a button or to perform any operation whatsoever except ti e operations required to send the car to the proper floor, and, in fact, which requires no operation by any person at any floor other than the operations required in connection with the operation and use of the dumb-waiter itself.

A further object of this invention is to provide means whereby a signal is given automatically 7 at the door of destination as soon as the car arrives, and preferably a signal which continues to demand attention until the door of the shaft is opened.

A further object of this invention is to provide a signal system of the character described and one which has great flexibility and is capable of installation and use on existing dumb-waiter installations without in anywise altering or changing the system of controlling and directing the movements of the car.

Gther objects of this invention will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The system includes means associated with an element or" the dumb-waiter driving mechanism whereby the starting or" the car automatically sets the system to actuate the signal devices at an door at which the car comes to rest, the signal preferably continuing until the door at said floor is opened. Means are also associated with each door at each floor, whereby when the door is opened the circuit through the signal devices is broken and the signaling ceases automatically.

An illustrative circuit and certain possible de- Serial No. 567,869

vices for carrying out the operations referred to will now be described, and in order that a clearer understanding of this invention may be had, attention is hereby directed to the accompanying drawing, formin a part of this application and illustrating certain possible embodiments of this invention.

Referring to the drawing, Fig. l is a diagrammatic lay-out of a signal system embodying my invention and including the representation of a door and its doorway and a car in alinement therewith;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary View, partly in section, of a portion of the doorway, shaftway and car, and is taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 8 is a view similar portion of the doorway, eluding a portion of the the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawing.

Referring to the drawing, the dumb-waiter is of usual construction and includes a shaftway 1, a car 2 adapted to Fig. 2, of a different shaftway and car, indoor, and is taken on to ride up and down the shaft-way, and a doorway 3 at each floor, provided with a door Each door may be hinged to the doorway on one side, as by means of hinge 5. On the outside of each doorway are mounted suitable electrical signal devices, such as a'lamp 6 and a hell 7, preferably of the single stroke type. On one side of each doorway is mounted a switch 8, called herein a doorway switch, having an actuating member 9 in the form or a push-button or plate. A finger l0, pivoted as at 11 and having a heel 12 adapted to engage a stop 13, bears against the button or plate 9. The dumb-waiter car 2 is provided with a cam shoe or plate 14 which pushes the finger to move the plate 9 to close the switch as the car arrives at that floor and holds the switch closed so long as the car is there. Each doorway is also provided with another switch 15, called herein a door switch, having actuating button 16 adapted to be engaged by the door 4. When the door is closed, the button 16 is pushed inwardly and the switch is open. When the door is opened, the button 16 moves outwardly and switch becomes closed.

At some suitable point, such as at the top of the shaft-way, there is installed a relay system and a master switch and a timing element which times the giving of the signal. The relay systeincludes an electroniagnet 17 having its coil connected, as by conductors 18, to the motor M which drives the car of the dumb-waiter, so that wheneverthe driving current is on the relay 17 will be energized and whenever the driving current is off the relay 1'7 will be deenergized. Conductors 18 may be connected in parallel with the armature of a driving motor of the direct current type or in parallel with any of the motor windings of a driving motor of the alternating current type. Relay 17 has an armature 19 pivoted on a pin 20. A spring 21 connected to this armature and to a pin 22 tends to hold armature 19 against a stop-pin 23. Associated with the armature 19 is the armature 24 of another relay 25. Armature 24 is pivoted, as at 26, on a post 27 supported on a suitable base-plate 28 Armature 24 has a tail portion 29, under which is disposed a cup 30 containing mercury or other suitable conducting substance. A spring 31 connected to armature 24 and to pin 22 tends to hold this armature raised from relay and its end 29 in the mercury in the cup 30, as shown in dot and dash lines. When relay 25 is energized, it draws the tail 29 out of the mercury in cup and disposes the opposite end of armature 24 in such a position that spring 21 may draw the end of armature 19 thereover, so that armature 24 will be latched in that position by the armature 19 of the relay 1'7. The operations of these relays will be understood when the circuits and operation are described.

The circuit includes conductors 32 and 33 connected to the opposite sides of a suitable source of current supply. Conductor 32 is electrically connected to the tail 29 of armature 24 through post 27. Conductor 33 extends the entire length of the shaftway, preferably to a ground. From the mercury in cup 30, a conductor 34 leads through a timing device 35, which may be a flasher plug, the entire length of the shaft-way and preferably to a ground. Another conductor I 36 also extends the entire length of the shaftway and at one end is connected to one end of the coil of relay 25 and the other end is preferably grounded. At each floor, switch 8, lamp 6 and bell 7 are connected in series across conductors 34 and 33 by conductors 3'7, 38, 39 and 40. Also, at each floor, the switch 15 is connected across the conductors 33 and 36 by conductors 41 and 42.

Intermediate the mercury cup 30 and the intermittent device 35, a conductor 43 connects the conductor 34 to the other side of the coil of relay 25.

Thus it w apparent that the doorway switch 8 and the signal devices 6 and 7 are connected in series at each floor and all the series are in parallel between conductors 33 and 34. Each series is in series with the master mercury switch and flasher. The reset door switches 15 are in parallel with each other and each is in series with the coil of the electromagnet 25.

The operation of the system is as follows:-

The sender opens the door at his floor, loads the car, closes the door and then actuates the proper starting button in accordance with the particular system with which the installation is equipped. The sender does not perform any separate operation with regard to the signaling system. The starting of the car turns the current on to the driving motor, which in turn energizes relay 17, causing armature latch 19 to be withdrawn from armature 24, whereupon spring 31 raises the armature 24 and closes the mercury switch comprising the tail 29 of armature 24 and the mercury in the cup 30. As the car passes each succeeding floor, it momentarily closes each switch 8 thereat. However, no signal is given when the car passes a floor, since the closing of the switch 8 has not been long enough to allow the flasher plug to permit current to pass therethrough. When the car comes to rest at a floor, the switch 8 is held closed by the cam plate 14 on the car. This holds the circuit closed through conductor 32, post 2'7, armature tall 29, mercury cup 30, conductor 34, flasher 35, conductor 37, switch 8, conductor 38, lamp 6, conductor 39, bell 7, conductor 40, and conductor 33. So long as the door at this floor remains closed, the switch 15 remains open and current passes continuously through the circuit just stated until the door is opened. The flasher 35 causes the light 6 to flash and the bell '7 to strike at regular intervals, and the flashing and ringing will not cease until the door is opened. The opening of the door causes switch 15 to close. This completes the circuit through conductor 32, post 27, armature tail 29 and mercury cup 30, conductors 34 and 43, relay 25, conductors 36 and 42, switch 15, and conductors 41 and 33. Immediately upon the closing of this circuit relay 25 retracts its armature 24, and since relay 17 is deenergized, due to the car being stationary, its armature latch 19 engages over the attracted end of the armature 24 and holds armature 24 in this position, in which its heel 29 is out of the mercury in cup 30 and the circuit which energized the relay 25 is broken, as is also the circuit through lamp 6 and bell 7.

After a door has once been opened after the arrival of the car, it may be closed and opened at will without altering the condition of the circuit until the car has again been moved. The movement of the car is effected by the energizing of its operating motor and whenever this occurs the relay 1'7 will simultaneously be energized to retract its armature latch 19 and permit the operation of the mercury switch and its control through the relay 25.

From the above it will be obvious that most effective signaling will occur at any floor at which the car stops and that such signaling will continue until the door is opened at that floor. It is further evident that neither the sender nor the receiver at any floor need perform any operation other than the usual operations necessary to load and unload the car and to send the car to its proper destination.

It is further evident that the signal system is sufilciently independent of the system of moving the car so that the signal system may be used in connection with almost any operating system which includes an electromotive force; it being required merely to hook up the relay 1'? to the electromotive force of the operating system, so that the relay 1'7 is energized when the car is moving and deenergized when the car is at rest.

As many changes may be made in the various devices and appliances illustrated, and also since the system is adapted to many different environments, it is to be understood that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What I claim is:

1. The combination with a dumb-waiter installation including a shaftway having a doorway, a car in the shaftway, and mechanism for driving the car, of an electric signal device and a master switch and a doorway switch all in series in an electric circuit connected to a suitable source of electric current supply, a retractable latch device associated with the master switch CJI to hold it open, means for closing said switch when released by the latch device, means for closing and holding the doorway switch closed when the car is at the doorway, means opening and holdiir the doorway switch open when the car is not at the doorway, means associated with the driving mechanism for the car whereby upon actuation of the driving mechanism said latch device is retracted to release master switch, so that upon the closing of the doorway switch by the arrival of the car at the door the circuit through the signal device will become closed and a signal will be given thereby.

2. The combination with a dumb-waiter installation including a shaftway having a doorway, a car in the shaftway, and mechanism for driving the car, of an electric signal device and a master switch and a doorway switch all in series in an electric circuit connected to a suitable source of electric current supply, a retractable latch device associated with the master switch to hold it open, means for closing said switch when released by the latch device, means for closing and holding the doorway switch closed when the .car is at the doorway, means for opening and holding the doorway switch open when the car is not at the doorway, means associated with the driving mechanism for the car whereby upon actuation of the driving mechanism said latch device is retracted to release the master switch, so that upon the closing of the doorway switch the arrival of the car at the doorway the circuit through the signal device will become closed a signal will be given thereby, and an automatic electrical timing device in said circuit in series with said switches and signal device for elaying the closing of said circuit until a predetermined time after the closing of the doorway switch.

3. The combination with a dumb-waiter installation including a sha-ftway having a doorway and a door, a car in the shaftway, and mechanism for driving the car, of an electric signal device and a master switch and a doorway switch all in series in an electric circuit connected to a suitable source of electric current supply, a retractable latch device associated with the master switch to hold it open, means for closing said switch when released by the latch device, means for closing and holding the doorway switch closed when the car is at the doorway, means for opening and holding the doorway switch open when the car is not at the doorway, means associated with the driving mechanism for the car whereby upon actuation of the driving mechanism said latch device is retracted to release the master switch, so that upon the closing of the doorway switch by the arrival of the car at the doorway the circuit through the signal device will become closed and a signal will be given thereby, and means associated with said master switch and with said door whereby the opening of the door opens the master switch and breaks said circuit through the signal device.

4. The combination with a dumb-waiter installation including a shaftway having a doorway and a door, a car in the shaftway, and mechanism for driving the car, of an electric signal device and a master switch and a doorway switch all in series in an electric circuit connected to a suitable source of electric current supply, a retractable latch device associated with the master switch to hold it open, means for closing said switch when released by the latch device, means for closing and holding the doorway switch closed when the car is at the doorway, means for opening and holding the doorway switch open when the car is not at the doorway, means associated with the driving mechanism for the car whereby upon actuation the driving anism said latch device is master retracted to release u switch, so that upon the closing of doorway switch by the arrival of the car at the doorway the circuit through the signal device will become closed and a signal ill be given thereby, means associated with said master switch and with said door whereby the opening of the door opens the master switch and breaks said circuit through the signal device, and means for engaging said latch device with the master switch when said switch is opened to hold said switch from closing until released thereby.

5. The combination with a dumb-waiter installation including a shaftway having a doorway and a door, a car in the shaitway, and mechanism for driving the car, of an electric signal device and a master switch and a doorway witch all in series an electric circuit connected to a suitable source of electric current supply, a retractable latch device associated with the master switch to hold it open, means for closing said switch when released by the latch device, means for closing and holding the doorway switch closed when the car is at the doorway, means for opening and holding the doorway switch open when the car is not at the doorway, means associated with the driving mechanism for the car whereby upon actuation of the driving mechanism said latch device is retracted to release the master switch, so that upon the closing of the doorway switch by the a val the car at the doorway the circuit through the signal device will become closed and a signal will be given thereby, and means, -ncluding an electromagnet having an armature connected w ll the master switch, and

electric circuit theincluding a switch associated with the door so as to be closed when door is opened, whereby the opening of the door opens the master switch and breaks said circuit through the signal device.

6. The combination with a dumb-waiter installation including a shaitway having a doorway, a car in the shaitway, and mechanism, including an electric motor, for driving the car, of an electric signal device and a master switch and a doorway switch all in se 'ics in an electric circuit connected to a suitable source of current supply, a retractable latch device associated with the master switch to hold it open, an electromagnet associated with the latch device and adapted when energised to disengage the latch device from said switch, means for closing said switch when released by the latch device, means tending to hold the doorway switch open, and means associated with the car for closing and holding the doorway switch closed when the car is at the doorway, said electroniagnet being in a circuit including the motor of the drive mechanism, so that said electromagnet and motor are energized and deenergizcd in unison, whereby upon the energizing of said motor the master switch becomes closed, conditioning the circuit through the signal device to be closed upon the closing of the doorway switch by the arrival of the car at the doorway.

'7. The combination with a dumb-waiter installation including a shaftway having a doorway, a car in the shaftway, and mechanism, including an electric motor, for driving the car, of an ele tric signal device and a master switch and a doorway switch all in series in an electric circuit connected to a suitable source of current supply, a retractable latch device associated with the masterswitch to hold it open, an electromagnet associated with the latch device and operating when energized to disengage the latch device from said switch, means for closing said switch when released by the latch device, means tending to hold the doorway switch open, means associated with the car for closing and holding the doorway switch closed when the car is at the doorway, said electromagnet being in a circuit including the motor of the drive mechanism, so that said electromagnet and motor are energized and deenergized in unison, whereby upon the energizing of said motor the master switch becomes closed, conditioning the circuit through the signal device to be closed upon the closing of the doorway switch by the arrival of the car at the doorway, means, including an electromagnet having an armature connected with the master switch, and an electric circuit therefor including a switch associated with the door so as to be closed when the door is opened, whereby the opening of the door opens the master switch and breaks said circuit through the signal device, and means for engaging said latch device with said armature when attracted to its magnet and the electromagnet first mentioned is deen rgized, whereby the master switch is held open until the motor is energized again.

8. The combination with a dumb-waiter installation including a shaftway having a doorway and a car in the shaftway and means for moving the car, of an electric signal device, an electric circuit therefor connected to a suitable source of current supply, a self --opening doorway switch in said circuit, means on the car for closing the doorway switch when the car is at the doorway, a selfclosing switch in said circuit, said switches and signal device being in series, a latch associated with the self-closing switch to hold it open, and means for retracting said latch when the car is moved to cause said self-closing switch to close, so that the circuit will be closed through the signal device when the car stops opposite the doorway and closes the doorway switch.

9. The combination with a dumb-waiter installation including a shaftway having a doorway and a car in the shaftway and means for moving the car, or" an electric signal device, an electric circuit therefor connected to a suitable source of current supply, a seli-opening doorway switch in said circuit, means on the car for closing the doorway switch when the car is at the doorway, a self-closing switch in said circuit, said switches and signal device being in series, a latch associated with the self-closing switch to hold it open, means for retracting said latch when the car is moved to cause said self-closing switch to close, so that the circuit will be closed through the signal device when the car stops opposite the doorway and closes the doorway switch, and means associated with the door and with the self-closing switch and actuated by the opening of the door for opening the self-closing switch to break the circuit through the signal device.

10. The combination with a dumbwaiter installation, including a shaftway having a plurality of landings each provided with a door, a hoist in the shaftway and mechanism for driving the hoist, of a system for signaling the arrival of the hoist at each landing, said system including an electric circuit connected with a suitable source of electric current, an electric signaling device and doorway switch at each landing connected in series in the circuit with parallel connection between the sets of signal devices and doorway switches at different landings, means associated with the hoist for closing each doorway switch upon the arrival of the hoist at the corresponding landing, a master switch of the self-closing type in said circuit in series with each set of signal device and doorway switch, a latch associated with the master switch to hold it open, means associated with the motive mechanism for the hoist and the said latch whereby upon initial starting of said mechanism said latch is retracted, allowing the master switch to close and condition the signaling circuit to actuate the signal device at any landing upon the closing of the corresponding doorway switch by the arrival of the hoist at said landing, a separate door switch associated with each door and controlled thereby to open when the door is closed and to close when the door is opened, each door switch being in series with the master switch in its circuit, and means associated with the master switch whereby upon closing of the door switch by the opening of the door at the landing after the arrival of the hoist thereat, the master switch is reset into open condition and the circuit closed by the door switch is broken.

11. A signaling system of the character described for hoist installations having hoisting mechanism, including, in combination, a signaling circuit, a master switch so connected in the circuit that the circuit cannot be closed unless the master switch is closed, actuating means associated therewith for closing said switch and holding said switch closed, control means associated with said hoisting mechanism and controlling the actuating means for holding said switch open, whereby upon initial starting of the hoisting mechanism the control means releases said actuating means to close the switch and to hold it closed irrespective of subsequent starting and stopping of the hoisting mechanism, and means associated with said switch whereby said switch may be opened and said actuating means placed again under control of said controlling means to maintain the switch open.

PETER J. DUGAN. 

